The document outlines design principles and indicators for learning space developed by Sheffield Hallam University. It identifies 10 design principles for fostering a sense of belonging, promoting good teaching and learning, supporting time on task, promoting peer cooperation and independent learning, accommodating flexibility, promoting study and self-belief, promoting active and authentic learning, and promoting learning through integrated technology use. Each principle includes example indicators for how students and tutors would positively experience new or refurbished physical and virtual learning spaces.

1. Andrew Middleton, Sheffield Hallam University, Future Learning Spaces Design Principles and Indicators,
April 2016
Learning Space Design Principles & Indicators
The following design principles and indicators have been developed through consultation with academic staff
at Sheffield Hallam University. The indicators are drawn from scholarly frameworks on learning, teaching and
student engagement as noted.
The development of the design principles in the University is ongoing, being a useful focus for discourse about
space and its relationship to effective learning and teaching.
Foster a sense of belonging
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:
• Being co-located;
• Forming common disciplinary identities;
• Developing ‘ways of being’ and habits associated with disciplinary practice;
• Feelings of a course home and ability to have trustful conversations, being inspired by peers, informal
mentoring and buddying, etc.
Promote good teaching and learning
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:
• Learner-tutor interaction;
• Peer co-operation;
• Active learning;
• Spending time on task;
• Feedback on and in learning;
• Being set attainable high challenges and benefitting from peer or tutor support (scaffolding);
• Using meaningful authentic contexts as the basis for learning;
• Inclusivity and benefitting from a diversity.
See: Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.
Available online at: http://www.uis.edu/liberalstudies/students/documents/sevenprinciples.pdf and
Promote and support time on task in and beyond the classroom
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:
• Spending time on campus engaged in formal and informal learning;
• Reading or discussing written content with peers;
• Conducting inquiry-based activities including problem-based learning;
• Independent engagement in developing coursework, projects and learning portfolios;
• Storing, accessing and managing physical and digital artefacts relating to academic work including
study resources, readings, support materials and information, and peer and learner-generated
artefacts such as notes and coursework.
Promote peer co-operation and independent learning
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:

2. Andrew Middleton, Sheffield Hallam University, Future Learning Spaces Design Principles and Indicators,
April 2016
• Working together supportively;
• Successful collaborative or group-based learning, whether formal or informal;
• Making progress;
• Co-curricula and extra-curricular activities including the
• Self-directed and self-determined learning and the self-management of peer support including actual
and virtual personal learning networks and learning sets.
Accommodate flexibility
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:
• Being able to ‘make the space their own’;
• Easily changing components of the space (e.g. furniture, light, acoustics, technology, etc) to make it
more suitable for tasks in hand;
• Being able to personalise the space;
• Easily switching between tutor-led and learner-led activities in formal settings;
• Using a range of media to suite learner or tutor requirements and preferences;
• Comfortable and attraction;
• Being able to identify and access a range of spaces to meet different learning and teaching needs and
preferences during the course of the academic day.
• Accommodating specific types of learning activities and use of different technologies brought to the
space;
• Affording flexible and variegated use across a range of disciplines;
• Offering access beyond typical staff working hours.
See: Wilson, G & Randall, M. (2012). The implementation and evaluation of a new learning space: a pilot study.
Research in Learning Technology, 20. Available online from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v20i0.14431
Promote study and self-belief
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:
• Developing knowledge, skills or learning and teaching dispositions;
• Applying knowledge in meaningful and complex contexts;
• Communicating knowledge and receiving feedback on it;
• Accessing and applying feedback which confirm learning contributions matter;
• Taking a lead in developing an effective learning environment.
See: Yorke, M. & Knight, P. (2004). Self-theories: some implications for teaching and learning in higher
education, Studies in Higher Education 29(1), 25—37
Promote active and authentic learning
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to:
• Being able to learn in diverse ways;
• Being challenged in ways that demand and enable active responses;
• Being able to reflect the way the knowledge is used in real life;
• Engaging in learning tasks and activities that have open-ended real world consequences;
• Accessing expert performances and the modelling of processes;

3. Andrew Middleton, Sheffield Hallam University, Future Learning Spaces Design Principles and Indicators,
April 2016
• Experiencing and enacting multiple roles and perspectives;
• Experiencing collaborative construction of knowledge;
• Reflecting in ways that enable abstractions to be formed;
• Communicating and forming articulations that enable tacit knowledge to be made explicit;
• Providing and receiving support at critical times;
• Engaging in authentic assessment of learning within the tasks including negotiated and self-
determined activities.
See: http://authenticlearning.info/AuthenticLearning/Home.html
Herrington, J., Parker, J. & Boase-Jelinek, D. (2014). Connected authentic learning: Reflection and intentional
learning. Australian Journal of Education, 58(1) 23–35.
Promote learning through the integrated use of personal and provided technologies
Example indicators
Students and their tutors are positive about new or refurbished physical and virtual space in relation to using
provided and personal technologies that support:
• Connection with and formation of up-to-date information and learning networks;
• Communication underpinning learning and engagement in learning;
• Curation and discovery of learning artefacts;
• Co-operation amongst communities of practice that support mutual benefits, joint enterprise and
sharing of practice in and off-campus including collaboration and supportive activities;
• Creativity and productivity that leads to learning and the generation of knowledge;
• Checking learning progress and developing and testing capabilities in digitally-enhanced learning
environments.
See: Jisc (2015). Evaluating and designing learning space. Available online at:
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/evaluating-and-designing-learning-spaces